Bury St Edmunds Flog It!

Today Flog It is in Bury St Edmunds.

Now, I've checked the address...

this should be the place for today's valuations.

Gosh, it looks a bit too small, if you want my opinion.

Well, this is the Nutshell,

allegedly the smallest pub in the country.

It's cute and quaint and very tiny.

Not much good for valuation day, is it?

The most people they've ever squeezed in here is 102 plus a dog called Bob.

That's the record.

But somewhere in this town there's a massive queue

waiting for me and they're all wanting their antiques valued.

Well, this is more like it.

Look at this. Welcome to the Athenaeum in Bury St Edmunds,

and it looks like our experts, David Barby and Adam Partridge are hard at work.

Adam is first up and it looks as though he's found someone to share a drink with.

So you're Gordon and I'm Adam,

and is there any Gordon's gin in here?

-No.

-There would have been at one point.

-I think so.

-What can you tell me about this object.

-A real antique.

-Well, it was given me by an ex-employer when she retired.

-OK. What were you working as?

-I was working as a stud groom.

A stud groom. Near Newmarket?

On a thoroughbred stud, right.

Did you know it was anything or did you think, "Oh, thanks"?

Well, no I didn't know much about it really.

-Were you pleased to receive it?

-I was.

But I was looking through an old antiques magazine

-and a photograph of that very one was in this magazine.

-The very one.

So therefore I regarded it as a reform flask.

Sometimes these are called reform flasks, but those are generally

the ones that have political figures and judges and things like that,

but what all this is about is to fill with liquor

and have a secretive drink in those days when it was illicit to do so.

So it's the equivalent of having a brown paper bag

round a bottle of cheap lager nowadays, isn't it?

And you just have a sly swig out of what

-appears to be a decorative figure.

-That's right, yeah.

So it dates from the mid-nineteenth century.

And we've got a maker's mark on the reverse, Oldfield & Co.

Not a very well-known name, Oldfield & Co.

-So why are you selling it then?

-Cos coins are more attractive than...

-OK, you'd rather have the money...

-Yeah.

-..than have that.

-Yeah.

-What's it worth?

You seem to have done a bit of research on it.

-It's got to be worth £100.

-You're right.

Because on the... I've seen reform flasks

which perhaps are better quality than this.

They can go up to as much as £400.

Yes. Depending on the political figures and their rarity.

This is quite an obscure item.

Oldfield and Co aren't very well known about.

There are other examples that have come up,

but I think £100 is a good guesstimate, really.

-We could put that as a reserve, is that what you want?

-Yes, please.

So if we put estimate of £100 - 150.

-Reserve of £100 and hopefully we'll find somebody with the spirit to take it on.

-All right.

Tell me,

where did you get this from?

I used to help out in an antique shop, around 21 years ago and the owner gave it to me.

I decided I'd get rid of it because we don't have the space.

He must have thought a lot of you, because this is a delightful piece.

Yes, he did... and of my husband.

He used to help out too.

-Did you use this as an inkstand?

-Oh, no, no.

-Just on the side.

-Yeah, just as an ornament.

This is quite a nice piece. Made as a souvenir.

This was in the Loire area of Brittany

where they did a lot of pottery. And we call this pottery faience.

And they decorated it with scenes of a domestic life.

Costumes of that area of Brittany.

This one's quite nice because it has this wide

space for putting your pens and it's got these two compartments

there for ink and are they...

-Oh, yes, they are separate.

-Yes.

Oh, that's good. That's rather nice. I like that.

So you could wash those out.

You could have one for red and one for blue,

-and what would you put in the top here?

-Quills?

I think you'd put stamps. Because we're talking about

a period when this was made when a postal system was in operation.

So this one on the back says, "Henriot Quimper, France, 80."

-I think that may refer to the pattern number, not the year.

-Yeah.

To have France on it would mean it would have to have been made after 1891

which was when the McKinley Tarriff came into force.

That was American legislation that stated anything made abroad

had to have a place of origin on it

before it could be imported into America.

So that would date it to the end of the nineteenth century.

Right. Just think in terms of price on this one, have you any idea yourself?

-I would have thought about £50.

-£50.

Even though it's got this damage here it's still going to command interest,

because people do like this.

It's colourful. I think you're bang on with the price.

I think probably about £60-£80.

-If you stick by the £50 reserve, I think we should achieve that.

-Yes.

-So you're happy to go ahead.

-Quite happy with that.

I'm longing to ask you. What are you going to do with that money?

Go for a day's racing, I think.

-You like the gee-gees.

-Yes.

-Right.

-Let's hope we make enough money there to put on a gee-gee.

-Yeah.

Harry, this is fantastic.

It's one of the best things I've seen for a long, long time.

I want to know how long you've had this and where it's come from.

Well, it's been in my bungalow, recently. But I've had it 58 years.

58 years, OK.

And before that, that was my grandfather's.

-Can you remember this as a young lad?

-Yes.

And you must have thought, "Tell me all about this.

-"Can I have a look?" Don't you think it's amazing?

-I do.

-It must have taken hours...

-I haven't seen nothing like it before.

..to do. It's absolutely brilliant.

This is definitely late Victorian, round about 1880, 1890.

Look at the work that's gone into it.

Lots and lots of seashells, cowries, conches,

bivalves, hundreds of them that have made the tiling on the roof.

-Yes.

-You look at the veranda and it's absolutely full of sand.

Little particles that have been glued on everywhere.

-Yeah.

-You've got sea sponge.

-It's completely out of scale, isn't it?

-It is.

There's some big chickens down there, which are bigger than the little people.

Yes!

And it's in its original glass case, which is leaded at the side.

I can see you've Sellotaped it all together.

Yeah. Some air came in there and the other side

and the rest has deteriorated, as the shells are coming off of it.

Yes. It's starting to deteriorate.

The case needs looking at.

Do you know, I just noticed.

I just noticed in the window they've got little net curtains.

Yes.

It's brilliant. The turrets, as well. Do you know, I love this.

What do you think of the value?

Come on, how much?

-Two to three hundred.

-Has someone told you that?

-No, no. Nobody told me.

-Well, you're spot on.

Spot on. I'd like to put it to auction with a value of two to three hundred.

Why do you want to sell it?

Well, as I say, I'm in a bungalow that's deteriorating

and someone else might have the pleasure of looking after it.

-Won't you be sad?

-No.

Well, I think this is going to find a home with a collector.

It could go in a museum of curios, that's for sure.

Yes. I'd rather see it like that than deteriorating and break right up.

-It's a little villa to die for.

-That's right.

-We'll put it in at two to three and hopefully, fingers crossed.

-It'll go up.

Yes, right. You know the spiel.

Yes, I know.

-Good morning, Stephanie.

-Morning.

Very nice pair of vases. Where did you get these from?

I got them from my mother-in-law

who inherited them from my husband's grandmother.

So they've passed down the family.

-Yes.

-How long do you reckon you can trace them back for.

Possibly 80 - 90 years.

-Interesting.

-And then I took them because I really liked them.

Had them in my house for a while.

Nearly lost one of them.

How was that?

We were having a barbecue and a bird flew in the house.

My brother chased it, and as he chased it, it knocked one

of the vases and he caught the vase and the bird flew out the window.

-Really?

-Still only one.

-Flying catch.

-Yes, yes.

You liked them because you've had them on display.

-And then I went off them.

-Why?

-I don't know really.

-Right. OK.

Well, they're quite easy to date and to describe

because on the bottom they've got the mark there,

which is W&R, Stoke-on-Trent and Florida.

-Yeah.

-So, this W&R

stands for Wiltshaw and Robinson.

-You may not have heard of them.

-I haven't.

-But you will have heard of Carlton Ware.

-Yes, I have.

Later, these became Carlton Ware.

This is the first mark of Wiltshaw and Robinson when they opened in 1890.

So these are one of the first things that came out of that factory in Stoke-on-Trent.

-OK.

-Florida is just the name of the pattern.

-Oh, is it? Oh, right, OK.

Yes. They've never been to Florida.

I was going to say, it doesn't resemble a Florida I would put on.

No, it's not the thing you immediately think, "Oh, look, Florida."

It's just making them sound a bit more exotic than they really are.

It doesn't do it for me, I'm afraid.

-This style was very much done at the end of the 19th century.

-Yes.

Royal Worcester, one of the best factories, they did a lot of this

cream background, known as the blush ivory ground with flowers on the top and gilding,

-so this was more affordable Royal Worcester.

-Yeah.

-It's more a printed design, so they're not very valuable.

-Oh, OK.

-You want to sell them, don't you?

-I do, because they're not me.

We haven't got a lot of room to keep stuff that I don't like so.

-No, they're no good in the loft, are they?

-No, not really.

So value-wise, any idea?

-A fiver, then I won't be disappointed.

-Stick a nought on it.

About £50? Oh, that's not bad.

£50. Something like that. £50-80 estimate,

-reserve of £40 so they don't go for less.

-No, that's fine.

And let's see what happens with them.

-OK.

-I'm not going to ask what you'll do with the money,

because they'll just cover your travel expenses.

-Yes, petrol.

-But I look forward to seeing you at the auction.

-Thank you.

Now we're ready with our first four items to go under the hammer.

And I hope Gordon's spirit flask makes him some money.

He knows his stuff and he's looking for at least £100.

the French inkstand looks like a real bargain at £60 to £80.

Fingers crossed the bidders think so too.

I love this shell house.

It's one of the quirkiest things we've seen on Flog It!

Trust the Victorians to produce something so curious.

And it's time for Stephanie to sell her vases.

They've been in the loft where no-one can appreciate them.

We've left Bury St Edmunds and travelled to the pretty market town of Diss, in Norfolk,

where we plan to flog all our items at TW Gaze auction rooms

and the sale room is that side of the water,

so let's get over there and find out what's happening.

Today's chief auctioneer is the lovely Elizabeth Talbot

and it looks like Harry's shell house has caught her eye too.

-What a lovely Victorian...

-It is fantastic.

A real Victorian folly and so rare these days.

The Victorians loved shells and they employed them

in all sorts of ornamentation, as you well know.

And that's all very well except that as a material they're very fragile

and delicate and also they have been around as objects

long enough for them to go in and out of fashion so a lot have been thrown away.

But to find such a large example and such one...

it's not just a cottage, it's a very intricate design.

-Yes, it's beautiful. A lot of time, a lot of energy and patience.

-Yes.

have been put into that, so very labour intense.

It's been in his family three generations.

-Has it, really? Has it really?

-This kind of kit really doesn't come to the market too often.

No, it doesn't. Certainly, as I say, not as lavish and extraordinary.

I love the fencing on the outside and the gate post.

With coral and seaweed. It's got everything going for it. I put £200-300 on it.

I think that's very, very fair. Very, very fair. I think...

and it's in its original case, it's a joy.

And it is definitely a piece to go to somebody who loves it

and understands it and there are some very keen collectors again,

for Victoriana and shell products, but this is exceptional. I think it's lovely.

So thank you for bringing it cos I'm excited.

The spirit flask with £100-150 on belongs to Gordon and I don't think for much longer.

It's a proper antique, isn't it?

Don't see many of them and it's immaculate...

-It's condition is immaculate.

-It is, yeah.

Why do you want to sell this, anyway?

Nobody else in my family are interested.

-Or doesn't understand about it.

-No.

-Proper antique.

-Spirit flask.

-Do you drink spirits, Gordon?

-I do.

Straight from the bottle, not from the flask.

I wouldn't say that.

What are you implying?

Totally medicinal, you know?

What's your tipple of choice?

-Pardon?

-What's your chosen tipple.

-Drop of scotch.

-Drop of scotch.

Anyway, chaps, it's quality and it's in immaculate condition.

-Good luck.

-Salt glaze reform flask.

Square depicting old Tom sitting precariously on his barrel there.

I start here at £55. £55 is bid at 55 now.

55 now, where's 60?

-60, 5, 70, 5, 80, 5.

-That's better.

90, 5, 95 with me at 95,

now I'll take 100, 100 is bid, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150.

At £150, are you all done at 150?

That hammer's gone down. We like that sound.

Good solid sold sound. 150, Gordon.

-Top end of the estimate.

-Yeah.

-Perfect.

What are you going to do with 150 quid. There is a bit of commission to pay.

-I'm going to count it.

-You're going to count it...

make sure it's all there.

Next up, we've got the ink stand at £60-80 and it's good to see you again, Liz.

-Who have you brought?

-My mother, Margaret.

Hello, pleased to meet you. Classic inkstand.

Typical French.

Good, decorative item.

It is. And that type of pottery has been going on almost for two centuries.

This one's probably turn of the last century.

Why do you want sell this, anyway?

-Basically, I haven't got the room and I've got four cats diving about the house.

-Are you a cat lover?

My daughter is, anyhow.

-Yeah, oh, yeah.

-Well, look good luck.

Let's hope we get top end of the money.

Quimper monochrome triple inkstand there.

Comprehensive inkwell. Start me at 50.

£50 there. £30 I'll take.

You've all gone quiet. Come on.

£30... a lot for the money there at £30, anybody want it?

-20 the hand only. Starting at 20, 22, 25,

-Right, now we're in.

28, 30, 2, 35, 38,

38 40 - new bidder, 40 bid now, where's 2?

-At £40 only.

-Come on.

£40 is a good piece for only £40.

Are you all done?

Didn't sell.

-Didn't sell.

-We taped it in with the reserve which is the best thing

we could have done because there was no interest here.

I wouldn't have sold it for £40.

-Really.

-It's worth twice that, really.

Yes, yes.

-Harry, it's good to meet up with you again.

-Thank you.

You made my day back at the valuation day six weeks ago.

Oh, you did. Harry walked in with this.

Look at this. Here's your shell house.

I just hope someone's prepared to shell out £2 - 300 today.

I'd like to see it do more than that, but you don't know with auctions.

No, you don't. That's true.

What have you been doing in the last few weeks since we saw you.

Just in the garden, growing vegetables.

-Yeah, do you like doing that?

-Yes.

Right, this is now the moment of truth.

Lot 325 is next.

The fine, unusual and very rare Victorian model

of a cottage is made entirely of shells.

There in the back corner on the side there, lot 325 and I start at £100.

£100 I have.

At £100 only, wave if I miss you, it's a rarity, this.

at £100 where's 110?

120, 130,

140, 150, 160,

-170, 180...

-Come on, we're getting there.

..190, 200, are you sure?

Back with me at £200 now.

At £200 only, 210, 220,

220 now with me at 220.

Are you all done at 220?

-Gone.

-That was easy. I'm satisfied.

Yeah. I was expecting a little more but nevertheless

we pitched it at two to three, didn't we?

Yes, we put a reserve on for £200.

-Are you happy now with it?

-I'm happy.

-You're gonna say goodbye to it.

-That's very nice.

It's got a bit more Sellotape wrapped round it.

I see it. Yes, that's right.

Hey, it's gradually falling apart.

-Harry, it's been a pleasure to meet you.

-And you.

-Get back to the garden. Few hundred quid in your pocket.

-Yes.

Taking the rostrum for this next lot is auctioneer, Steve Stockton.

-It's good to see you again.

-Thank you.

Pair of vases from Stoke-on-Trent. Late 19th century...£50-80.

Early Carlton Ware.

Should do a bit more as pair?

Well, I think that's fairly accurate.

Is it? He's sticking by his guns.

-He's a cheeky chap, really.

-Yeah.

You're not giving anything away here.

I sometimes put my neck on the line.

Well, I am, I'm saying it's right.

We have a pair of W&R Florida pattern vases.

Slot 490 and I have two bids on the sheet.

Going to start that £42 do I see 5?

£42 now where's 5? 45, 48, 50, 55,

55 with me, do I see 60?

55 with me on commission, do I see 60? Any advance on £55?

-£55, Stephanie.

-That's good.

-That's all right.

-You were right.

-Stuck to your guns.

-Yeah.

We've got to give you that one, then.

-That's good.

-That put a big smile on your face.

You were first in the valuation day, weren't you? You were. Got up really early for that?

It was my sister-in-law that dragged me along because I have to hold my hands up.

Never seen the program.

But she dragged me along because of you, I think.

I wasn't quite sure why when I got there...

..she's just got back from Egypt and she's not well, so couldn't make it.

-Well, send her my love.

-I will, I will. Yes, OK.

-Thank you so much for coming in.

-Thank you.

You can send her home with one of these.

-I carry it with me to remind me of him, but you can have it.

-Thank you.

Could he sign it at the back.

Just to her, not me.

Now imagine living in a beautiful old house

in the countryside just like this one.

A dream come true for most of us.

But what happens when things start to go wrong with it?

For Paula Sunshine, a problem with her house turned into a real mission in life, believe me.

And it also unearthed some hidden passions.

Eleven years ago, Paula and her husband bought this five hundred year old timber-framed house.

Soon after, they found it had terrible damp problem,

but they could find nobody to help them sort it out,

so Paula literally took matters into her own hands

and has spent the last decade sorting out its problems

and returning this house to its former glory.

And I'm here to find out how she set about doing it.

Paula learnt many traditional skills from bricklaying to lime plastering,

but the one I'm here to find out about is wattle and daub, an age old form of wall panelling

which, in Paula's house, had been destroyed by damp.

Paula, I love what you've done to the house. It's absolutely stunning.

You've got that whole theme running throughout as well. Love the decor.

We talk about wattle and daub. Look at these uprights.

These would have been in-filled.

Yes. In fact, you can still see the ledges here, but these

ledges are missing their wattles, which are the upright ones.

-Which would be, what, local willow?

-Hazel. Hazel rods.

Hazel material.

-Tied on.

-And then you plaster on top of that with your render?

You'll do one side and then you come round and daub the other one.

Wattle and daub panels do perform a function.

They're lungs of the building, so when you get rain water entering into render cracks,

which everybody does, they may not know about it,

but it's happening inside the walls,

that soaks into the wattle and daub and then evaporates through the panel.

And it's all very invisible.

You don't see it happening, but it allows that moisture to dissipate and dry out.

-And can we have a go at that?

-You can.

-Now?

-Shall we?

Right, Paula. I guess the main ingredient is the clay.

Where do you get this from?

-Usually, the local farmer. I try and get it as local as possible, because that.

-Transporting it, yes.

Also that's what they would have done originally.

All the ponds that you see next to old buildings, tend to have been

made by the extraction of the clay to do the wattle and daub.

That'll do.

-And you tread that in?

-That's right.

Jump in, squash it down.

It's quite therapeutic isn't it, really?

It is quite satisfying.

It's quite interesting, these days,

to find a material that is so simple

-and can actually be used to build houses with.

-Yes.

Then we add some of this straw.

What will the straw do to this? Help it bind together?

Yes, it actually bulks up the mix,

better insulation and also stops it from breaking up as it dries.

So you put the straw in like that, and tread it in.

-Keeps you fit, doesn't it?

-It does.

Bit more water.

Bit more water, make it really sloppy.

That's it.

So just explain the two differences - the wattle and the daub.

The wattle is the bit, the hazel bit,

or you can have oak and the daub is what I'm standing in.

-The magical mix.

-You've got to turn over now.

-Are you ready for this.

-Which is the clay and straw and water.

-Yes.

I teach homeowners and I sometimes go on site and teach builders.

Passing on this kind of information is so important, it really is.

It's a very expensive thing to have done.

-It's labour intensive.

-Very.

I mean, you can see I can only do...

to make up the daub and to wattle up a panel,

about my height and size it takes a day.

So it would be very expensive to have 100 panels in your house repaired.

So people tend to say, "I'll go and learn how to do it."

One more bit of treading then.

Yes.

-I hear you've got a nice gooey mix there now.

-All right.

I think...

You give that a turn and it's ready to use.

That's it.

Put it in the wheelbarrow and we'll get daubing.

-Heavy.

-Yes, it is, isn't it?

-Waste not want not.

-Ah.

Every bit is precious.

OK.

-We've got two panels here.

-We have.

-They look a bit different.

That is what you were explaining inside?

That's right. And that method's peculiar to East Anglia,

whereas down the south of the country

you get this sort of woven panel.

Mainly, because they have very wide panels

and once they go over a certain width you can't really

do this tied method because it becomes too flexible

whereas the woven method is much more rigid.

When you're doing a woven panel, it has to be green hazel, that is,

it's cut and then used fresh, whereas with these they can be as old as the hills, really.

I've even used really ancient hazel.

-Is that because as they start to dry out they get rigid, they're not pliable.

-Yes.

You need to be able to bend them.

Well, I'm feeling quite pliable. We're now going to

put some plaster... put our daub on, should I say.

And your rubber gloves.

Which I've got in my pocket. Right, here we go.

OK. So, you've literally got to put it in by hand

-and you just force it in.

-Yes.

There's no way you could pick that out with a trowel and plaster it on.

If you get children to do it, they roll it up into balls and throw it from quite a distance.

-And it sticks like hell on there.

-Effective Yeah.

I can start anywhere really?

Anywhere you like.

It's jolly good fun, actually.

Oh, this is serious stuff, but it does feel really childish.

-That doesn't look too bad now, Paula, does it?

-No, it's very good.

How long will it take you to finish your house?

Well, I'm 44 now and I'm hoping by the time I'm 50

I will have done it.

Put your feet up and take it easy.

You've preserved something for future generations to see.

-That's what it's all about.

-It is.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself here. You know that?

I'm proud of this. I really am.

-You deserve a cup of tea.

-My mud wall.

Fantastic. Unfortunately, I've got to get back to my day job

and get back to the valuation day and see what's turning up.

So better wash up.

-Thanks so much, again.

-Right. Pleasure.

Pat, this is an intriguing collection of memories.

Of stars, of sports and theatre.

How did you come by them?

Well, my father collected some for me.

He knew quite a lot of theatricals and I met quite a few.

Right. So where...what did your father do? Was he in the theatre?

No. He was a chemist and an optician in Blackpool in the Emporium.

He used to get a lot of the ladies come in and say,

"Freddie, darling, have you got anything for me this week?"

It was during the war and rationing.

Make-up was short, yes.

-Right.

-He knew so many.

-Hence, all these autographs.

-Yes.

This is a wonderful collection. Absolutely marvellous collection.

I've quickly gone through it and put some little markers in.

The first one that I love is Freddie Mills, the boxer.

-Yes.

-And he's got RAF. Did he box for the RAF?

-Yes, I think he did.

-And he was in the RAF, wasn't he?

-Yes.

So this was probably taken when he was...

-Before he became one of the champions.

-Exactly.

Then, this I find fascinating.

Because here are two characters with table tennis bats.

-What do you know about these?

-Alec Brooks and Victor Barna.

Victor Barna was a lovely man.

He was Hungarian and he was eighteen times world champion table tennis.

And the one I love because I used to go ballroom dancing, is Joe Loss.

-Yes, he was brilliant.

-He was good, wasn't he?

There we have a much younger version of Joe Loss and this is his orchestra.

-Look, it says, "In The Mood."

-Oh.

-That was his opening tune, wasn't it?

-I've got the record.

-Have you?

-Have you really?

-Yes.

And then here, must be your pride of place,

Bing Crosby and he's just signed it, "Sincerely, Bing."

-Yes.

-Where did you get this?

Friends got me that one.

Bing Crosby came over to entertain the American forces.

-Because you must have been young when you got these.

-I was still at school.

You've got a lovely collection.

We've got to talk in mercenary terms about money.

Why do you want to get rid of these?

It doesn't mean anything to my children, it's before their time

and I thought somebody else could get pleasure from it.

There are so many albums. Not repeated exactly the same with all these artists.

You've got a nice selection,

but I wouldn't put this more than £80 to £100, that price range.

-Fine.

-So we'll put it up for sale?

-Yes, please.

-All these memories.

-I know.

I can't take them with me when I go, can I?

But you can spend the money!

Thank you very much. It's been so enjoyable talking to you

and reliving the experiences that you've had.

-Thank you very much.

-Do you go to the auction?

-Yes.

-Oh, well, I have an autograph, a photograph of you.

-Thank you very much.

-Cathy.

-Hello there.

-Nice hat.

-Thank you.

-Welcome to Flog It!

-Thank you.

Why would you like to sell a beautiful object like that?

With central heating instead of live fires,

and it's not doing it any good,

so it's been in our pantry for the last three years.

There's a good reason - living in a pantry.

Where did you get it from?

It came to my mum from a great aunt about 20 years ago

and I know it's beautiful,

but it just sat on the sideboard for a lot of years.

It's a very nice example, a good, large size early to mid-19th century tea caddy.

In rosewood, edged in boxwood and cross banded along the top in rosewood as well.

Beautiful object with these gilt metal claw feet on it and of course,

for tea, so you'll see the two divisions there,

you'd have had green tea one side, black tea the other.

And a sugar bowl in the middle.

But this is the wrong sugar bowl.

This is from your local Chinese takeaway, or...

Well, it came with the box.

It sits in there, so why not,

but it shows where the glass bowl originally would have been.

So very nice object indeed.

A lot of collectors for tea caddies nowadays

and this is a good, large example of that sarcophagus form.

A bit of a funereal look to it almost, isn't it? Casket.

I like the way it goes up rather than...

-A very pleasing object to the eye, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Any idea what it might be worth?

-No idea.

We sell quite a lot of these, so they're not hard to value,

but I would think it should make 120 to 180 at auction

and hopefully a bit more, that's probably slightly conservative.

If we put a reserve of 100, if it doesn't make 100, it should go home.

-I'll pop it back in the pantry.

-If it doesn't make 100.

But it is a lovely example.

Would you put the money towards anything in particular?

Um, probably just take Dad out for a meal.

-Not another hat, then?

-No, no, I've got quite enough.

Rosemary, lovely to see you again after...how many years?

Oh, it must be about 40 years since we first knew each other.

Because we used to go to the same youth club.

-Yes.

-Great fun in those days.

-We had a lovely time,

-Absolutely wonderful.

And the parties, the parties at my parent's house.

Yes. It was all so enjoyable. It seems like an alien world.

-When you look at today, yeah.

-Dear oh, dear.

Why are you getting rid of these?

They're my husband's.

They belonged to my mother-in-law who died and she wanted him to have them

but he doesn't like them and nobody else in the family likes them,

so I thought I'd come along and see.

-Surely they have sentimental value.

-He says not.

I used to collect Staffordshire when I was young.

I had a huge collection and I've told people many times

-about how they lasted about three months when I got married.

-Yes.

I like these because they're fairly late-nineteenth century.

-Yes.

-But I like them because of their sponged work.

So if you look at Judy, because they're Punch and Judy, this one here.

They have all this stencilled and sponged decoration all the way around the hat

and on her dress which is quite good.

And when we look at Mr Punch, we've got sponge decoration on his hat.

-It is so unusual to find them with their original bonnet and hat.

-Really?

Yeah. So this is quite nice.

I notice that Mr Punch has had the comb on his hat

has been off but it's glued back and it's an old repair.

I don't mind that. I don't mind that.

-It's all part of his character.

-Well, yes.

I have seen these before.

Because Staffordshire market, it's not gone in decline,

but it's not in demand as it was a few years ago,

or when I started collecting forty years ago.

-Forty...a long time ago, yes.

-A long time ago.

Um, so I think if I look at these and put a value on them,

-I'm going to say about £60 to £80.

-Right, yes.

If we put these up for sale ten years ago, you'd have got treble that.

Just shows the fluctuation of fashion and demand.

But that's just it, isn't it?

We've moved house and we have nowhere at all to put them

they're on top of the wardrobe so this is a good opportunity...

-Well, I think Punch and Judy deserve a better place than the top of the wardrobe.

-They do, don't they? Yes.

-Perhaps some cottage in this area and they'd look very good on a dresser.

-Yes.

Let's hope when we go to Diss,

that somebody's going to be there that appreciates what we've got in front of us.

-Thank you.

-Rosemary, lovely seeing you.

-Nice to see you again.

-Thank you very much.

Another three valuations under our belt.

So here are three lots heading off to auction.

Although Patricia's autograph book holds many fond memories for her,

she's ready to let it go.

Unless you're a collector, what do you do with a tea caddy?

Let's hope someone in the sale room has a bright idea.

And the problem with inheriting antiques is that they're not always to our taste,

so the best thing for Rosemary to do with her Toby jugs is to flog them.

Next up, Patricia's autograph book.

We had a chat to the auctioneer just before the sale started and we think it's a good trade lot.

-It might get bought to be split up.

-I think so.

The value's in a few of the autographs and photographs and less in some.

-There are two records now which were brought in this morning?

-Oh.

-Bing Crosby to go with his autograph and I brought Joe Loss In the Mood.

-In the Mood.

Let's hope this lot in Diss are certainly in the mood to buy this.

Good luck, both of you.

And to lot 370.

A fabulous lot, this. An autograph book containing a signed black

and white photographs with two 78 records by Bing Crosby

and Joe Loss. So an interesting mixed lot there.

Some very good names and I'm going to start,

I've got commission interest at £55.

55 is a good start.

£55 now, where's 60? 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 I'm at. 80 now where's 5?

85 on the telephone, £90, 95.

95 now on the telephone, 95 on the telephone, do I see 100?

It's £95. I can sell for 95.

A fine collection at £95.

Yes, the hammer's gone down. £95.

-Lots of memories there.

-Yes, I know.

I was only a teenager.

Admiring all the big stars.

-Blackpool must have been in its heyday back then.

-It was lovely.

Mind you, it was during the war and there were loads of airmen.

All wanted to have a good time.

Yeah. I used to dance with them.

See, that was my war work I was still at school,

but that was my war work, entertainment and dancing.

Thank you for sharing those memories with us.

And 95 quid. Well, that will get you up to Blackpool

to have a day trip out, wouldn't it really?

Pay for the petrol, wouldn't it?

Elizabeth is now back to auction off our final couple of lots.

Next up, Cathy's tea caddy. We've got the tea caddy, Cathy can't be with us,

but we do have her dad, Howie, who's also wearing a very interesting hat.

We thought you might be Cathy's dad.

Everybody know me in the area.

-So where is Cathy today?

-She's still at work.

She's looking after an elderly woman.

-She's just a live-in carer.

-OK.

And she goes from site to site all over the place, all over Britain, more or less.

-Oh, right.

-We'll be in Oxford next.

-Gosh.

Oh, nice rewarding work, anyway.

Send her our regards and hopefully we can send her lots of money after the show.

-Be nice.

-We're looking at £120, £180 for this tea caddy. Bit of quality.

-You know your wood. What do you say.?

-I like it.

-Will it sell?

-Yes. It will.

Lot 150 is a 19th century rosewood tea caddy of sarcophagus form, there.

As on this one here, I start at £55. That's a lovely period piece.

60, 5, 70, 5, 80, 5, 85 with me,

at 85, 90, 5, 100 and I'm out.

100 now the front bid at 100, I'll take 10.

£100, am I missing anybody at £100?

It's gone. We had a reserve of £100.

That saves me carting it home.

That saves you carting it home. It's only that big.

-Someone got that quite cheaply.

-Mmm. Nice box.

At least we had a reserve on it. Otherwise who knows?

Yeah. That's auctions for you.

Sometimes you can pick up a bargain.

Now we're going to find out if that's the way to do it, as we reunite two old...

CARTOON VOICE: That's the way to do it.

As we reunite two old friends,

Rosemary and David, because you go back a long way, don't you?

Oh, yes. Don't tell how many years.

I won't tell.

School chums. Anyhow, we've got Punch and Judy, haven't we?

Two Toby jugs, valuation round about £50 we're hoping for.

Yeah, yeah. Staffordshire's taken a plunge,

but these are good mantelpiece ornaments or dresser ornamentations.

Hopefully, they're different.

A bit of country furniture.

We've got that going for it and we've also got the fact

-that they are a Punch and Judy so there's lots of takers for that out there.

-That's right.

So good luck, both of you.

I know you've had a good natter.

It just seems like yesterday, that's the beauty of old friends isn't it, really?

What was he like as a youngster?

I don't think he's changed very much at all.

Any scandal?

-Not that I can think of.

-I thought you

were going to say, "Not that I can mention."

We'll leave that then. It's going under the hammer now.

This is it. Good luck, Rosemary.

Lot 110 now, the pair of late 19th century Toby jugs of Punch and Judy.

I say £50 on the pair.

It's good to find them still together at 50.

-That's true.

-30 I'll take.

30's bid, thank you. 30 I have.

30, 32, 35, 38, 40, 2, 45, 48, 50.

50 at the corner, 50 I'll take 5, 55 new bidder, 60, 5, 70.

Oh, this is more like it.

-Oh, this is, yeah.

-70 still the corner at 70 now, where's 5 again?

At £70 on Punch and Judy at £70, all done?

-£70.

-Oh, great.

-Brilliant, brilliant.

-That's fantastic.

-I'm really pleased.

That's well over the estimate.

-Thank you, David.

-By ten pounds.

Well, I think you can carry on having your chat and have a cup of coffee or something.

That's a good idea. Come on.

School friends.

Well, another auction over, and sadly no high flyers, but plenty of satisfied sellers.

I've got to say our experts really did have their work cut out.

It's been a pleasure here in Diss

and we all can't wait to come back, so till the next time, it's cheerio from Flog It!

For more information about Flog It!, including how the programme was made,

visit the website at bbc.co.uk.

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